Wind-propelled water craft



Dec; 29, 1925- 1,567,090

' W. H. THORBURN WIND PROPELLED WATER CRAFT Filed Fb. 9, 1925 3 sheets-sheet 1 WIND PROPELLED WATER CRAFT Filed Feb. 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I 13 15 29" 7 ll 5 F I; 5Q Sl/{Biar 24 5] D e i2. 29, 1925- W. H. THORBURN WIND PROPELLED WATER CRAFT Filed Feb. 9, 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet .3

Patented Dec. 29, 1925.,

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY THORBURN, OF GOIILINGWOOD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

WIND-PROPELLED WATER CRAFT.

Application filed February 9, 1925.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY THORBURN, a British subject, and resident of the town of Collingwood, in the county of Simcoe and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in IVind-Propelled Water Craft; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of my invention is to so con struct a boat that the propulsive force of the wind cannot impart excessive listing thrust to the hull, and, cannot capsize the boat, this object being accomplished by so mounting the mast in a support or step that it is permitted to oscillate athwartship when subjected to wind pressure and is restored to a position perpendicular to the hull when relieved of wind pressure, suitable means being provided for guiding the oscillating movements of the mast athwartship and preventing its movement in a direction axially of the hull.

This support orstep may be constructed in various ways and various means may be provided for bringing the mast to a normally perpendicular position, but in the preferred construction the hull is encircled by, and

connected with, an annular guideway for the oscillation of an annular band provided with laterally extending arms projecting beyond the hull, and a socket, intermediate the arms, in which the mast is stepped; outriggers being rigidly connected to the arms and shrouds connected to the mast and to the Outriggers for staying the mast.

For resisting the oscillation of the mast and for restoring it to, and maintaining it in, a position substantially perpendicular to the hull when the mast is not subjected to wind pressure, I have provided a float at each side of the hull and have so connected these floats with the laterally extending arms that Serial No. 7,967.

scription and to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a water craft constructed according to my invention,

Fig. is aside elevation of the water craft shown in Fig. 1,

F g. 3 is a front elevation of the same,

Fig. 4c is a vertical section through the means by much the mast is oscillatingly stepped,

Fig o is a vertical section of a modification or the means tor oscillatingly stepping the mast,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5,

I 1g. r is an enlarged sectional detail 01: one or the Outriggers, float supporting arms and tillers, and

1 1g. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail of a fragment of the annular guideway, the annular band, and their co-actinp; parts.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the specification and drawings.

The term boat as herein used is intended to mean any type of wind propelled water cratt and for the purpose of explaining the invention I have shown the hull of the boat to take the form of a canoe.

Iii the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4:

inclusive, the hull 1 is encircled by an annular guideway 52 the perimeter 3 of which is of a concave shape. Secured to the annular guideway 2 is a plate at having a channel 5 at right angles to the plane of the guideway. IVhen the annular guideway and hull are assembled the keel 6 is entered in the channel 5 with the axis of the hull at right angles to the plane of the guideway. The annular guideivay is provided with lugs or ears 7 and 8 so located with respect to the plate 1 as to project slightly above the deck or gunwale of the hull when the keel 6 is entered in the channel 5, the lugs 7 being positioned at one side of the hull and the lugs 8 at the other side. -Secured to the lugs 7 interiorly of the guideway is a block 9 and similarly secured to the lugs 8 is a block 10. These blocks overlie the deck or gunwale 13 and beneath the blocks 9 and 10 are blocks 11 and 12 respec tively secured to the guiiwale or deck 13, the adjacent surfaces of the blocks 9 and 10 and those of the blocks 11 and 12 respectively being oppositely inclined for the purpose of wedging the keel 6 securely into the channel 5. The blocks 11 and 12 are provided with permanent stops 14 at or near their thicker ends and with removable stops or pins 15 at or near the thinner ends to maintain the set position of the blocks 9 and 10 on the inclines.

The Withdrawal of the pins 15 permits of the lengthwise movement of the'block's 9 and 10 and their separation from the blocks 11 and 12 for the disassembly of the annular guideway 2 from the boat.

Encircling the annular guidewa y 2 and entered in its concave perimeter 3 is an annular band 16 formed with a socket 17 in which is stepped the mast'lS. The annular band 16 is also formed or provided w th lugs 19 diametrically opposite the socket 17 to which a weight or counterbalance is connected.

Projecting laterally from the annular band 16 is an arm 21 that extends beyond one side of the hull and projecting from the annular band 16 is a similar arm 22'extending beyond the opposite side. The arms 21 and 22 are spaced equidistant from the socket 17 and are likewise spaced equidistant from the lugs 19. p

Rigidly secured to the arm 21 IS an outrigger 23 and rigidly secured to the arm 22 is an outrigger 2 1. Each outrigger preferably extends evenly beyond both sides of its respective arm and these Outriggers are mounted on the arms lengthwise of the axis of the hull. Connected to the mast and to each outrigger are shrouds 25 to stay the mast when carryin ga sail of relatively large area. When the water craft carries sails of relatively small area the shrouds and outriggers may be dispensed with. In certain typeso't'sails it may be necessary to keep the shrouds'clear of the mast and in such cases 'the in'a st is provided with a cross-tree 26 to which the upper ends of the shrouds are connected. 7

Connected with, and maintained in fixed position with relation to, the arms 21 and 22 are water borneflo'a'ts 27 and 28 respectively tor-resisting the oscillating movement of the mast as hereinafter described.

For this purpose the outer ends of the arms 21 and 22 are provided with bearings 29 and 30 iii-each of which is rot'atably jouriia'lled a post 31- having asshoulder 51 abutting against the under side of its respective bearing. Each post 81 extends slightly above its respective bearing and is provided with a tiller 32, and the lower end of each post 31 is connected to its respective float. Coi'in'ected'to'the ends of each outrigger and tothe annular ha nd 16are stays 34 and connectingthetillers'is'an arrangement of tiller ropes 33 by which'both tillers and their corresponding floats can be simultaneously opcrate-(i. I

The step or support in which the mast is mounted is locked against movement in a direction axially of the hull so that the forwardor propulsive force of the wind can be transmitted by the sail to the mast and by the mast to the hull. The lateral oscillation of the mast, provided for by the guideway 2 and rotatable band 16, prevents the Wind on the sail area imparting any appreciable listing movement to the hull. This lateral oscillation, however, is resisted by the bouyancy ot the float on the lee side andthe weight oi the float on the windward side, which, when the wind pressure on the sail area is balanced by the water pressure against the floats, resist the oscillation of the mast and maintain it in such position as to utilize the forward driving force 01' the wind, but at all times permitting it, by oscillation, to spill the Wind and relieve the hull of the capsizing force of the wind on the sail.

By journalling the post 21 in the bearings 29 and 30 the float-scan be turned into planes parallel with the axis of the hull or they can be turned at an angle thereto to reduce the leer-Jay of the boat.

In Fig. 5 the lower end of the mast is mounted on a support connected to the hull inte'rjacent its sides. This support consists, as shown in Fig. 6, of a plate 52 having two upwardly spaced lugs 53 and a socket 54 oscillatingly mounted between the lugs 53 on a pin 55 passing through the lugs and socks The lower end of the mast is entered in the socket 54 and under wind pressure oscillates athwartship as previously described in connection with the construction shown in Figs, '1'to 4t inclusive. Connected to the gunwale is a slotted guideway 56 through which the mast is entered, the guideway preventing-the tore-and-att movement of the mast but permitting of its oscillating movement ath-wartship. To prevent excessi-ve wear the mast is fitted with a wear collar 57 snugly fitting the slot of the guideway. Connected to the mast above'the guideway are curved or bent arms 58 to the extremities of which are connected floats 59. having the same function as 'the floats previously described.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wind propelled boat comprising, hull, a mast stepped to transmit the forward thrust of the wind thereto and to oscillate athwartship, independently of the listing movement of the hull, means for guiding the oscillating movements of the mast athw artship and preventing its movement in a direct-ion axially of the hull, and

two floats, one on each side of the hull, connected With the mast tor-normally maintaining it in, and restoring t to, a position perpendicular to the hull when not subjected to wind pressure.

2. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, amast stepped to transmit the forward thrust of the wind to the boat and to oscillate athwart the hull, independently of the listing movement of the hull, means for guiding the oscillating movements of the mast athwartship and preventing its movement in a direction axially of the hull, and two floats, one on each side of the hull, connected with the mast for restoring the mast to, and normally maintaining it in, a perpendicular position.

3. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, a mast stepped to oscillate athwart the hull, under wind pressure, and, independently of the listing movement of the hull, means for guiding the oscillating movements of the mast athwartship and preventing its movement in a direction axially of the hull, and two floats, one on each side of the hull, connected with the mast for resisting the oscillating movement of the mast and restorof the mast athwartship and preventing its movement in a direction axially of the hull, and floats for resisting the oscillating movement of the mast and restoring it to, and normally maintaining it in, a perpendicular position.

5. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, a mast stepped to oscillate athwart the hull, under wind pressure, and, independently of the listing movement of the hull,

means for guiding the oscillating movements of the mast at-hwartship and preventing its movement in a direction axially of the hull, and floats connected with the mast and movable with it.

6. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, a support for the mast permitting it to oscillate athwart the hull, under wind pressure, and, independently of the listing movement of the hull, out-riggers having a rigid connection with the support and movable with it, and shrouds connected to the mast and to the outriggers.

7. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, a support for the mast permitting it to oscillate athwart the hull, under wind pressure, and, independently of the listing movement of the hull, Outriggers having a rigid connection with the support and movable with it, shrouds connected to the mast and to the Outriggers, and floats connected with the support resisting its oscillating movement.

8. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, an annular guideway encircling the hull and connected therewith, an annular band rotatably mounted in said guideway, a socket for the band and a mast stepped in said socket.

9. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, an annular guideway encircling the hull and connected therewith, an annular band rotatably mounted in said guideway, a socket for the band, a mast stepped in said socket, and means for maintaining the socket and mast normally in an upright position.

10. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, an annular guideway encircling the hull and connected therewith, an annular band rotatably mounted in said guideway, a socket for the hand, a mast stepped in said socket, and floats connected with the band for maintaining the mast and socket normally in an upright position.

11. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, an annular guideway encircling the hull and connected therewith, an annular band rotatably mounted in said guideway, float supported outriggers rigidly connected to the annular band, a socket for the band intermediate the Outriggers, a mast stepped in said socket, and shrouds connected to the mast and outriggers.

12. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, an annular guideway encircling the hull and connected therewith, an annular 1 band rotatably mounted in said guideway, Outriggers rigidly connected to the annular hand, a socket for the band intermediate the Outriggers, a mast stepped in said socket, and shrouds connected to the mast and outriggers.

13. A wind propelled boat comprising a hull, an annular gui-deway encircling the hull and connected therewith, an annular ban-d rotatably mounted in said guideway, float supported Outriggers rigidly connected to the annular band, a socket for the band intermediate the outriggers, a mast stepped in said socket, and shrouds connected to the mast and outriggers.

Dated at the city of Toronto, in the county of York, and Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, this 12th day of January,

WILLIAM HENRY THORBURN. 

